MjLink Cannabis Business News and Press

A large fire engulfed Canopy Growth’s former greenhouse facility in Delta, B.C., the morning of Nov. 1, with the blaze under control by the afternoon, according to the Vancouver Sun.

The Canadian LP shuttered the facility in March as part of a “production optimization plan,” which also resulted in the closure of another greenhouse in Aldergrove, B.C., and the elimination of roughly 500 employees.

“The site hasn’t been operational in months, so thankfully there wasn’t anyone on site, nor were there any plants on site,” Jordan Sinclair, Canopy Growth’s vice president of communications, told Cannabis Business Times in a prepared statement. “We’d like to thank the Delta Fire and Emergency Services for their brave work containing the fire.”

Firefighters were called to the scene around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the Vancouver Sun reported, and it took 30 firefighters across seven crews to manage the fire, which was contained to the shipping and receiving section of the facility.

No one was inside the facility when the fire broke out, and no injuries were reported, according to CBC News.

Shanghai, China – PRESS RELEASE – Pozeen has announced its commercial-grade GLPC series LED grow light.

“The Pozeen GLPC is UL, cUL (UL8800 category), and DLC listed and designed for indoor hydroponic cannabis growth,” the Pozeen team explains. “The GLPC comes with optimized spectra for clone stage, vegetative stage and flowering stage. The fixture is available in 100W, 200W, 320W and 630W, which can dim to off (0%) and boost to 110% through the integrated dimmer switch. The fixture can also activate worker-parent process by daisy-chaining all fixtures through provided RJ45 data cord; all fixtures can be synchronized from any of the fixtures in the loop.

“The GLPC comes all-in-one with all the power, data and mounting accessories necessary for open-bed crop production; and can be easily mounted with grow racks for vertical farming with support mounting kits.

"Through the past 3-year engineering and 200+ times field testing, the GLPC is proven to maximize photosynthesis, growth and yield with 2.4 times more yield and 55% less energy consumption,” the team concludes.

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - PRESS RELEASE - Village Farms International, Inc. has announced it has completed the acquisition from Emerald Health Therapeutics, Inc. of 36,958,500 common shares of Pure Sunfarms Corp. owned by Emerald, representing approximately 41.3% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Pure Sunfarms. With the completion of the Pure Sunfarms Transaction, Village Farms now owns 100% of the common shares of Pure Sunfarms. The acquisition of the Pure Sunfarms shares will be immediately accretive to Village Farms' net income.

"Village Farms conceived of a joint venture to launch its Canadian cannabis business, and the result, Pure Sunfarms, is now one of the leading Canadian cannabis companies. With this transaction our shareholders will now fully benefit from our initiative," said Michael DeGiglio, CEO of Village Farms. "Pure Sunfarms is well positioned for long-term growth as one of what we believe will be just a small number of major suppliers to the Canadian cannabis market. Importantly, as part of the Village Farms organization Pure Sunfarms can now pursue additional opportunities to further leverage its success to date and increase its earnings potential. I am pleased to welcome the outstanding management team and employees of Pure Sunfarms to our organization, and welcome back so many Village Farms' personnel who transitioned to our cannabis venture in the early days to ensure that Pure Sunfarms would benefit fully from Village Farms' decades of experience and site-specific operational expertise. Pure Sunfarms' CEO, Mandesh Dosanjh, and his entire team have done exceptional work in bringing Village Farms' vision to reality, and we look forward to their continued contribution to its success as part of Village Farms going forward.

"The acquisition of the entirety of Pure Sunfarms is a defining moment for Village Farms, furthering our transformation to a vertically integrated, plant-based consumer packaged goods company. It allows us to fully leverage the invaluable cannabis expertise Village Farms has gained in combination with the organizational strength underlying the Village Farms produce business to pursue high-growth opportunities in emerging legal cannabis and CBD markets in the United States and targeted markets internationally. We will do so with the same thoughtfulness, prudence, strategic decision making and focus on near-term profitability and long-term return on invested capital that has been fundamental to the success of our investment in Pure Sunfarms.

"We especially look forward to the potential for U.S. regulatory changes that would permit us to pursue our U.S. cannabis aspirations. With one of the largest greenhouse footprints in the U.S., located in one of the best regions for growing in the country, alongside our cannabis success in Canada, we believe there is no company better positioned for long-term success in the U.S. cannabis industry. We are ready to move quickly and aggressively as soon as the regulatory environment permits."

Upon closing of the Pure Sunfarms transaction, Pure Sunfarms will be fully consolidated in Village Farms' financial results. Village Farms will report its third quarter financial results and the third quarter financial results of Pure Sunfarms on Nov. 13, 2020. Village Farms' financial results for the three and nine months ended Sept. 30, 2020 will continue to reflect Village Farms' 58.7% ownership of Pure Sunfarms as an investment in a joint venture.

Wellness Connection of Maine filed a motion Oct. 29 to fight a lawsuit against the state that was brought by two small cannabis businesses over adult-use licenses awarded to out-of-state companies, according to a Bangor Daily News report.

Wellness Connection, which is controlled by Delaware-based investor High Street Capital Partners and operates four medical cannabis dispensaries in Maine, filed the motion on behalf of its adult-use business, NPG, to ask a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, which was brought by two medical cannabis caregivers who claim that the state cannot refuse to enforce a law restricting out-of-state business owners from participating in Maine’s adult-use market.

Maine eliminated a residency requirement in May that would have required every officer, director and manager of an adult-use cannabis business, as well as a majority of its ownership, to live and file taxes in Maine for at least four years. The rule was set to expire in June 2021, but the state repealed it early as part of an agreement with Wellness Connection, which filed a separate lawsuit in March to challenge the constitutionality of the requirement.

The new lawsuit now puts Wellness Connection on the same side as the state as a defendant, Bangor Daily News reported.

Maine’s first adult-use cannabis sales launched Oct. 9, and NPG currently holds one active manufacturing license, one active cultivation license, and five conditional approvals for another manufacturing facility and four dispensaries, according to Bangor Daily News.

Ohio is now accepting petitions to add new qualifying conditions to the state’s medical cannabis program, according to a local WDTN report.

The State Medical Board of Ohio will accept petitions for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program through Dec. 31, the news outlet reported, and may then designate new conditions or diseases as eligible to be treated with medical cannabis.

Petitions will not be considered if they are received after the deadline, or if they seek to add a broad category of conditions or diseases, according to WDTN.

Those petitioning for a condition that was previously considered and rejected by the board may not resubmit documents that have already been reviewed, the news outlet reported, but may present new scientific research for consideration.

Ohio’s current list of qualifying conditions include AIDS; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Alzheimer’s disease; cachexia; cancer; chronic traumatic encephalopathy; Crohn’s disease; epilepsy or other seizure disorder; fibromyalgia; glaucoma; hepatitis C; inflammatory bowel disease; multiple sclerosis (MS); chronic, severe or intractable pain; Parkinson’s disease; HIV; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); sickle cell anemia; spinal cord disease or injury; Tourette syndrome; traumatic brain injury and ulcerative colitis.

This week, Detroit officials proposed an ordinance to allow adult-use cannabis sales in the city, after initially opting out of the state’s recreational market. Elsewhere, cannabis legalization polls show promising results ahead of Election Day, when four states—Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota—are set to vote on adult-use ballot measures.

Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over.

Federal: Fifteen percent of seniors report having used cannabis products within the past three years, primarily for therapeutic purposes, according to data published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. Investigators affiliated with the University of California at San Diego surveyed 568 respondents at a geriatric clinic in southern California. All of the study’s participants were at least 65 years of age, and 73% of respondents were older than 75. Read morePolling numbers vary, but the most recent results indicate that voters in the four states with recreational legalization on the ballot—Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota—will vote in favor of legalization. A shift in public perception and potential tax revenue are two key reasons the measures are likely to succeed, according to Fox Rothschild attorney Melissa T. Sanders. Read moreA recent study by the Resource Innovation Institute (RII) found that indoor cannabis cultivation facilities that utilize LED lighting systems were, on average, more energy-efficient and more productive than facilities using non-LED lights. The non-profit organization analyzed data from 84 indoor cultivators who submitted energy use and production data to the group’s Cannabis PowerScore tool, a benchmarking platform that gathers confidential facility information about energy use, production output and cultivation methods, and provides operators with ranking relative to other respondents. Read moreMichigan: Detroit Councilman James Tate and Mayor Mike Duggan shared details of a proposed ordinance this week that would allow adult-use cannabis sales in the city. Detroit initially opted out of Michigan’s adult-use cannabis market, instead placing a moratorium on sales to buy the city time to draft an ordinance to regulate the industry. Now, city officials plan to propose their ordinance as an amendment to the Detroit City Code, which will be considered at upcoming public hearings led by the city council. Read moreNew Jersey: The New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee approved legislation Oct. 26 that would require workers’ compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance benefits to cover medical cannabis in certain situations. A1708 was approved by the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions earlier this year, and advanced out of the Appropriations Committee Monday in a 7-4 vote. Read moreMissouri: Lyndall Fraker, the director of Missouri’s medical cannabis program, believes voters could legalize adult-use cannabis in the state as early as 2022. Fraker told FOX 2 Now that he believes medical cannabis legalization was a step toward adult-use in the state. “Absolutely, I think that was the intent of the drafters,” he said. “We’ve already heard that they are going to try and work and get it on the ballot, but I don’t think the legislature will do it; I think it will have to be a petition. It’s going to be on the ballot in 2022, I’m very confident in that, but I don’t know what that language will look like.” Read moreMississippi: Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler is challenging one of Mississippi’s two medical cannabis ballot measures with the state supreme court. Butler filed the complaint Oct. 27, just one week before Election Day, alleging that the number of signatures gathered to put the issue before voters does not meet standards set in the state’s constitution. Read moreIllinois: Curaleaf announced this week that the multi-state operator is expanding its line of Select Oil brand products to Illinois, the 15th state to carry Select Oil products. Select Elite Live cannabis oil cartridges will be the first offered in the state. Read moreA judge has ordered Illinois officials not to rescore cannabis dispensary applications in an ongoing licensing dispute over the state’s plan to issue 75 new retail licenses. The move comes after three finalists included in the licensing lottery filed a lawsuit over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to offer unsuccessful retail applicants a second chance to qualify for the controversial lottery. Read moreInternational: Although full election results are expected to be published Nov. 6, preliminary election results show that New Zealand is set to reject adult-use cannabis legalization. The country’s Electoral Commission has reported that 53.1% of voters opposed the cannabis referendum, but also said there are nearly half a million mostly overseas special votes that have not yet been counted and that might be enough to get legalization across the finish line. Read more

Canóvanas, Puerto Rico - PRESS RELEASE - After months of planning, Tropizen announced the start of the production of Puerto Rico’s first cannabis-infused fruit chewables, as part of its ongoing partnership with U.S. multi-state cannabis and hemp operator MariMed. The company will also manufacture new cannabis-infused chewable tablets.

“We have seen Puerto Rico’s medical cannabis market evolve and grow exponentially. Patients are looking for higher quality and natural options made with real ingredients,” said Tropizen co-founder Marni Meistrell. “We believe that these new products are a great fit, both with changing patient preferences and Tropizen’s corporate philosophy. As our partnership with MariMed advances, we are pleased to be able to continue to offer innovative, world-class products.”

RELATED: Tropizen Finds Success in Puerto Rico’s Cannabis Market

The company's expanded product portfolio will now include Betty's Eddies taffy style infused fruit chews and Kalm Fusion chewable tablets. Both will be available through authorized dispensaries in Puerto Rico.

Meistrell explained that the vegan, gluten-free fruit chews are manufactured using traditional taffy machines and made using real fruits and vegetables. Containing full-spectrum cannabis oil, they will be available in a variety of flavors, including berry, orange, lemon, lime, grape, peach mango, and an insomnia formula with lemon and melatonin. The product has been recognized in the United States as one of the top-performing cannabis brands.

Preliminary election results show that New Zealand is set to reject adult-use cannabis legalization, according to U.S. News & World Report.

RELATED: Young Voters Key for New Zealand’s Cannabis Legalization Referendum, According to New Poll

The country’s Electoral Commission has reported that 53.1% of voters opposed the cannabis referendum, according to the news outlet, but also said there are nearly half a million mostly overseas special votes that have not yet been counted and that might be enough to get legalization across the finish line.

Full results are expected to be published Nov. 6, according to U.S. News & World Report.

If successful, the referendum would make New Zealand the third country to legalize the adult use and sale of cannabis, following Canada and Uruguay.

A judge has ordered Illinois officials not to rescore cannabis dispensary applications in an ongoing licensing dispute over the state’s plan to issue 75 new retail licenses, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The move comes after three finalists included in the licensing lottery filed a lawsuit over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to offer unsuccessful retail applicants a second chance to qualify for the controversial lottery.

Illinois regulators announced in September that 21 social equity applicants would be included in a lottery to win the 75 available dispensary licenses.

After a group of companies behind some of the unsuccessful bids filed a federal lawsuit claiming that there was political motivation behind the number of businesses included in the lottery, Pritzker announced that unsuccessful applicants who did not receive perfect scores on their initial applications could amend and resubmit them, or ask the state to re-score them if they believed a mistake was made during the initial scoring process.

SB IL, Vertical Management and GRI Holdings IL, which all received perfect scores on their initial applications and qualified for the licensing lottery, then asked the Illinois Supreme Court to award the licenses without the changes to the process.

In September, Christopher Melillo—who spent the past two years as senior vice president of retail at the multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator Curaleaf—made the leap to join Ascend Wellness Holdings, a multi-state operator with cultivation, processing and retail licenses and multiple brands on the East Coast and in the Midwest, as the company’s chief revenue officer.

Melillo, who has a 25-plus year track record in retail, including leadership positions at Nike, VILLA, Home Depot and PetSmart, shared with Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary the impetus behind the recent move, as well as what he looks for in building great teams, the potential outlook of New Jersey adult-use legalization, and more.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length, style and clarity. 

Cassie Neiden: You were a top retail executive at Curaleaf, helping build that company into one of the biggest in the country in terms of footprint in the cannabis industry. So what enticed you to bring your talents to Ascend Wellness?

Christopher Melillo: First and foremost, the time at Curaleaf was an amazing opportunity for me. And we really did get to build an impressive team as well as an impressive footprint across the cannabis space in the United States. [I’m] proud of the work we were able to accomplish at Curaleaf, but with that came some opportunities. As I talked to Ascend, [an opportunity] for a chief revenue officer came open. They continue to go down their path for expansion, and being able to take a higher role and run multiple divisions within the organization was a very attractive opportunity to me. Running retail, wholesale, marketing as well as design/construction, new store expansion. It’s just a more well-rounded view. Most of which I was doing at Curaleaf anyway, just at a higher title in the C suite. I have a proven track record and I think we’ll see a lot of success.

WAKEFIELD, Mass., Oct. 29, 2020 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, has announced that it has expanded its award-winning line of Select Oil brand products to its 15th state, Illinois--the nation's second-largest adult-use market after California--starting with its Select Elite Live cannabis oil cartridges.

Select is a lifestyle brand that was acquired by Curaleaf in February 2020. Select creates a variety of high-quality products that can be found in over a thousand dispensaries across 15 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Massachusetts and Maine. Select takes pride in having some of the most stringent and progressive testing practices in the industry and is committed to continuous innovation to ensure its customers get the best cannabis experience possible.

Select Elite Live combines high-quality, high-potency THC oil with live resin extract derived from fresh, frozen flower. Created with a proprietary formula, Elite Live is designed to capture the essence of the living plant with a higher terpene content when compared to a traditional distillate cartridge. The enhanced formula has quickly become a best-seller in every market where it has launched; in Florida alone, sales surpassed $1 million in less than one month. The oil is delivered by Select's unique cartridge technology, which helps to evenly distribute heat and deliver enhanced purity, flavor, and quality.

"The Select brand has worked diligently to earn its place as an industry leader and is rapidly becoming the first nationally-recognized cannabis brand," said Joe Bayern, president at Curaleaf. "Illinois is one of the largest adult-use cannabis markets in the country and one that has worked incredibly hard to address the need for reparation and normalization of our industry. We look forward to becoming part of the Illinois community, and serving the patients and consumers with the best in class cannabis consumer products available anywhere."

In July 2020, Curaleaf closed on its acquisition of Grassroots, giving the company the opportunity to continue developing innovative products and serving communities across the United States, including Grassroots' native state of Illinois. Select is slated to expand into Pennsylvania early next month. Both Illinois and Pennsylvania are among the largest and fastest-growing cannabis markets in the United States.

A Mississippi mayor is challenging one of the state’s two medical cannabis ballot measures with the state supreme court, according to an AP News report.

Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler filed the complaint Oct. 27, just one week before Election Day, to challenge the petition process that qualified Initiative 65 for the ballot, the news outlet reported.

RELATED: Two Competing Measures to Appear on Ballot in Mississippi

Butler alleges that the number of signatures gathered does not meet standards set in the state’s constitution, according to AP News, but Mississippians for Compassionate Care, the supporters of Initiative 65, have said that their petition process met not only the requirements set by the constitution, but also those established by a 2009 attorney general’s opinion.

“The Secretary of State properly qualified Initiative 65 under the same constitutional procedures used for every other successful voter initiative,” Jamie Grantham, a spokeswoman for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, told the news outlet. “The lawsuit from the City of Madison is meritless.”

Polling numbers vary, but the most recent results indicate that voters in the four states with recreational legalization on the ballot—Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota—will vote in favor of legalization. A shift in public perception and potential tax revenue are two key reasons the measures are likely to succeed.

ARIZONA

In Arizona, Proposition 207 would legalize the sale and use of adult-use cannabis for those 21 and over. Possession would be limited to 5 ounces of cannabis, 1 ounce of THC concentrate and six plants per household. The Department of Health Services would regulate commercial sales. A 16% excise tax would be imposed on sales. The initiative would also allow individuals with certain cannabis-related crimes on their records to apply for expungement.

Two polls conducted in September came back with differing results, but demonstrated that the majority of voters are in favor of the measure. A poll conducted by Smart and Safe Arizona—the group behind the initiative—showed 57% in support and 38% in opposition. A separate poll conducted by Monmouth University showed 51% of respondents are in favor of the measure, with 41% in opposition. The remainder of voters are either undecided or not planning to vote on the measure.

MONTANA

In Montana, two initiatives are on the ballot. Initiative I-190 would legalize the sale and use of adult-use cannabis for adults who are 21 or older. Possession would be limited to 1 ounce of marijuana, provided that no more than 8 grams of that may be marijuana concentrate. In addition, residents would be allowed to have up to four cannabis plants and four cannabis seedlings per residence. The Department of Revenue would regulate commercial sales. A 20% tax would be imposed on sales. The initiative would also allow individuals serving prison sentences for cannabis-related crimes that are decriminalized under the new law to request expungement or resentencing. Initiative CI-118 would allow for the state to set a minimum age of 21 for the purchase of adult-use cannabis products. According to a Montana State University poll conducted between Sept. 15 and Oct. 2, 2020, 49% of respondents were in favor of the measure, with 39% opposing.

NEW JERSEY

In New Jersey, Public Measure No. 1 would legalize the sale and consumption of adult-use cannabis for those 21 and older. If the measure passes, limitations on the amount that may be possessed would be determined by regulators at a later date. Commercial sales would be regulated by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. The former 6.625% statewide sales tax for medical cannabis would be imposed on adult-use sales (medical taxes were lowered to 4% on July 1 and will be further reduced until medical sales will not be taxed in July 2022). Localities will have the option to add on another 2% tax. The most recent poll results from law firm Brach Eichler LLC, which were released in late October, showed 65% of respondents in favor of the measure, with 29% opposing it.

While most Americans live in states where cannabis is legal in some form, marijuana is still listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance and remains illegal under federal law. This federal prohibition, however, has not stopped states from legalizing adult use. The results of the 2020 election may tip several more states toward legalizing adult-use cannabis. Other than the states with adult-use on the ballot—Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota—another key state to watch is Minnesota, where a Republican-controlled Senate is the only known roadblock to legalization.

Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler introduced a bill calling for the legalization of recreational cannabis, HF 4632, to the Minnesota House of Representatives on May 5, 2020, and it has been stuck in the House’s Commerce Committee due to the Republican Senate’s refusal to hear the bill. Democrats need to flip two seats in the Senate to gain control of both chambers. No other barrier appears to stand in the way of Minnesota legalizing adult-use cannabis. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has repeatedly said he is ready to sign a legalization bill the moment it is approved by the legislature. He has also tasked his administration and agencies to create the necessary infrastructure to host an adult-use cannabis market, including taxation and public health. However, this agency work is likely on pause or substantially reduced after Minnesota’s government re-tasked certain resources to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Winkler consistently refers to the Minnesota bill as “the best legalization bill in the country” and has received support from several industry organizers. Given the regulatory structure in HF 4632, the bill is meant to take a holistic and expansive approach to regulating adult-use cannabis in comparison to other states’ regulatory regimes. The Minnesota bill creates a Cannabis Management Board with the power to regulate both medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis.

Minnesota legalized medical marijuana in 2014, and while the program continues to evolve, it is still considered one of the most restrictive programs in the country. However, Gov. Walz did institute an executive order to improve patient access as a result of the pandemic, including permitting curbside pickup, extending patient enrollment expiration dates, and allowing patients to use telehealth appointments to get approval from medical professionals for qualifying conditions.

Membership of the Cannabis Management Board would include stakeholders throughout industry, government and community, including people experienced in the oversight of the production of agriculture, industry management, public health and social equity. In addition to the Cannabis Management Board, a special advisory council with 25 members appointed by the governor or the municipalities and counties of Minnesota would be created with the task of reviewing policy and making recommendations to the board.

A recent study by the Resource Innovation Institute (RII) found that indoor cannabis cultivation facilities that utilize LED lighting systems were, on average, more energy-efficient and more productive than facilities using non-LED lights.

The non-profit organization analyzed data from 84 indoor cultivators who submitted energy use and production data to the group’s Cannabis PowerScore tool, a benchmarking platform that gathers confidential facility information about energy use, production output and cultivation methods, and provides operators with ranking relative to other respondents. (RII uses the aggregate PowerScore data to inform governments, utilities and the supply chain on how to support cultivators in achieving greater efficiency.)

RII looked at the average of all the operator’s electric facility efficiency and electric production efficiency. Average electric facility efficiency is a metric RII uses to calculate energy efficiency by measuring energy use relative to an operation’s flowering canopy size. Kilowatt-hour per square foot (kWh/sq. ft.) and electric kiloBtu per square foot (kBtu/sq. ft.) are both used to determine electric facility efficiency. A lower figure indicates better average electric facility efficiency.

Average electric production efficiency is the metric that measures energy use against yield in grams (g/kWh and g/electric kBtu). A higher average electric production efficiency figure indicates better energy productivity.

In its analysis, RII found that indoor operations using LED lighting for flowering growth stages achieve 34% better average electric facility efficiencies and 80% better average electric production efficiencies than indoor facilities using double-ended (DE) HPS lighting for the flowering growth stage. Facilities using LED lighting systems averaged 606 kBtu/sq. ft. compared to an average of 882 kBtu/sq. ft. for non-LED systems. Additionally, LED facilities’ average productivity was 0.44g/kBtu compared to an average of 0.24g/kBtu for non-LED facilities.

“These findings demonstrate the ability of LED technology to drive energy and production efficiency in horticultural operations,” said Derek Smith, RII’s executive director, in a press release. “It should be noted that the range of performance across the facilities we studied is broad, meaning there is a large variability among users.” He added to Cannabis Business Times, “We know cultivator education and training is essential to [the] achievement of energy savings, and we also know that cultivators have different objectives as it relates to quality and therefore different patterns of energy use.”

PITTSBURGH (October 27, 2020) — PRESS RELEASE — According to a 2018 report by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, retail sales of cannabis concentrates are expected to reach $8 billion by 2022, surpassing traditional flower sales. In addition, a 2019 report by the same group anticipates U.S. sales of CBD products to reach $20 billion by 2024. To help cannabis manufacturers meet this rapidly growing demand, Green Mill Supercritical has introduced the Parallel Pro, designed with increased capacity in mind but without forfeiting the control and precision required to produce the highest-quality oils.

“Our customers are working in a constantly changing market, where legislation, changing preferences, increasing adoption rates and newly opening markets impact demand and the bottom line every day,” said Wes Reynolds, CEO of Green Mill Supercritical. “We developed the Parallel Pro with this challenge in mind by creating a machine that allows for increased capacity to scale as a manufacturer’s market grows, and pivot when it changes.”

Competitor designs that increase capacity through the cheap and easy approach of upsizing extraction components end up sacrificing precision, control and efficiency, according to Reynolds. The Parallel Pro provides maximum control over pressure, temperature and flow rate during supercritical CO₂ extractions, allowing customers to achieve the highest-quality oils. At the same time, the Parallel Pro enables producers to increase yields in roughly the same amount of time required for much smaller yields with other machines.

“Most companies increase throughput by building larger and larger components—extraction and collection vessels, pump, heat exchanger and more. You make everything bigger to increase production,” Reynolds said. “But when you do that, you require more time and electricity per pound of biomass processed. The Parallel Pro requires just a slightly larger footprint than our workhorse SFE Pro, but doubles all the things it does so well, at a very attractive price point.”

The Parallel Pro offers the following sought-after features:

Doubling the throughput and flow rate of Green Mill Supercritical’s SFE Pro machine, at least 130 pounds per 24 hoursA maximum pressure of 6,000 pounds per square inch (psi) A maximum flow rate of 1 kilogram per minute (measured with a mass flow meter) A Weekender Mode that can yield an additional four labor-free extractions every week3D-printed heat exchanger that heats CO₂ directly, which boosts condition accuracy in the system The same automation, compact footprint, and extraction efficiency of the SFE Pro line of machines

The development process resulted in a machine that maintains the attention to detail that Green Mill Supercritical has become recognized for across the industry: A fit and finish featuring laboratory-grade equipment. And it is just the latest in a series of innovations currently in development as part of Green Mill’s core commitment to continuous improvement.

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --  PRESS RELEASE -- Thrive Agritech, Inc., a provider of LED horticulture lighting, has announced that it has received orders from Native Roots Cannabis Co. for more than 1,500 of its high-performance LED light fixtures. Thrive Agritech's Infinity 2.0 LED lights were installed in multi-tier vegetative cannabis racks throughout Native Roots' Denver facility.

According to Jason MacDonald, director of cultivation at Native Roots, "After rigorous testing and analysis, we chose Thrive Agritech for several reasons. The lights provided outstanding plant growth, morphology, quality and yield. Our annual energy savings is estimated to be over 1.8 million kWh. Native Roots is committed to implementing sustainable business solutions that enhance our cultivation methods, provide cost savings, and reduce our environmental impact." MacDonald stated other reasons for buying Thrive Agritech lights including ease of installation, seamless end-to-end connections, and water and dust resistance (IP66) that make the lights simple to clean and maintain.

Thrive Agritech CEO Brian Bennett added, "We are excited with the results our technology is providing to Native Roots, from a plant growth, cost savings and sustainability perspective. Not only did the generous rebate help make the project a reality for Native Roots, but they will be seeing much smaller electric bills every month thanks to the efficiency of our lights. We look forward to supporting Native Roots with our leading-edge LED technology for years to come."

DETROIT, Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PRESS RELEASE -- Precision Extraction Solutions, a cannabis and hemp extraction technology company, has announced a strategic partnership with Pressure Safety Inspectors (PSI). Through the partnership with PSI, Precision is launching a safety and certification program that will streamline compliance when buying Precision extractors.

Extraction facility businesses need to follow complex fire code compliance for all of the processing equipment that they purchase. Precision's extraction product line comes standard with a Technical Report certification from PSI that satisfies 2018 IFC INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE and 2018 NFPA 1 FIRE CODE for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Precision and PSI will also offer a Field Verification Voucher aimed at streamlining local site inspection requirements once equipment is reassembled and ready for final inspection.

"Safety is our top priority. We're thrilled to partner with PSI to meet the highest standards of safety in the U.S. and internationally," said Michael Lewis, VP of Business Development at Precision Extraction Solutions. "All of Precision's equipment is now pre-approved and ready for professional engineers to field verify in order for extraction facilities to get their equipment operational faster."

Extraction equipment needs to be calibrated correctly for both pressure and temperature. When reviewing an extraction system, PSI examines the product's specifications, parts list and drawings, and checks whether the system's mechanics are sound. Having equipment pre-approved as it leaves the manufacturing floor saves companies purchasing Precision equipment both time and money.

"When we do a field test, we're looking at each vessel, each piping component, each valve, each chiller, each heater and making sure it's appropriate for the process and is safe," said Chris Witherell, PE, CEO of PSI. "We've long respected the engineering and innovation of Precision extractors, and we're proud to partner with them on this first-of-its-kind certification program."

PHOENIX, October 27, 2020 – PRESS RELEASE – 4Front Ventures Corp. has announced that it has entered into definitive purchase and sale agreements with an affiliate of Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc., (IIPR) providing for the sale and leaseback of 4Front’s cultivation and production facilities in Tumwater, Wash., and Georgetown, Mass.

The all cash sale price of US$30 million will be used by the company to pay down the outstanding senior secured debt obligation to affiliates of Gotham Green Partners, and for other general corporate purposes. The transaction is subject to various closing conditions, including standard property/title inspections and appraisals and is scheduled to close in early December.

"Entering this sale-leaseback transaction marks a significant milestone in our stated strategy to further strengthen our balance sheet, providing us greater flexibility to fund our growth initiatives.  The successful closing of this transaction positions us well as we enter 2021, with our laser focus on profitable growth within our core markets of Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Washington and Michigan,” said Leo Gontmakher, CEO of 4Front.

In accordance with the terms of the transaction, 4Front will occupy the Tumwater, Wash., and Georgetown, Mass., facilities pursuant to 20-year lease agreements, with two 5-year extensions exercisable at 4Front’s discretion. 4Front anticipates no disruption to its operations as a result of the transaction.

CHICAGO – October 28, 2020 — PRESS RELEASE — Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multistate cannabis operators in the United States, has announced the launch of a 1.0 g Liquid Live Resin (LLR) vape cartridge in its Cresco brand portfolio. Illinois and California are the first markets to carry the Company’s newest LLR offering. Cresco Labs’ LLR is unique and differentiated from other live resin products in market today because the company uses an extraction process that flash-freezes whole flower at peak freshness, preserving premium flavor, cannabinoids and quality.

“In Illinois and California, we’re focused on providing more consumer choice within our brand portfolio to drive continued wholesale growth and deliver high quality products our customers want most,” said Greg Butler, chief commercial officer at Cresco Labs. “Our Liquid Live Resin line of products from our Cresco brand provides our customers with both the confidence and assurance that they are consuming trusted and reliable cannabis products with nothing added or taken away from a single, pure cannabis strain. We capture the original full-spectrum effect of fresh flower, and we’re excited to deliver a larger form vape offering to meet the rising popularity of this option among our customers in Illinois and California.”

Cresco Labs’ LLR extraction method starts with a single, premium cannabis strain, harvested and extracted at the peak of freshness. The cannabis oil is never separated or reconstituted, which means there are no cuts, fillers, added terpenes or non-cannabis ingredients. To deliver the best cannabis experience possible, Cresco Labs extracts the naturally occurring, full-spectrum benefits of the fresh flower, because the company believes in preserving the integrity of the original strain.

In Illinois and California, the Cresco brand’s suite of LLR products includes .5 g and 1.0 g vape cartridges. The line also features live resin concentrates, as well as premium flower, popcorn, shake and pre-rolls.

Illinois cannabis sales have increased month-over-month, with nearly $67 million in total cannabis retail sales in September. California total sales in September were $360 million. Cresco’s 1.0 g LLR vape offering is the latest product to enter Cresco Labs’ Illinois and California markets this year, following the initial debut of Mindy’s Edibles gummies; High Supply popcorn and shake, disposable vape pens and pre-rolls; and Good News pre-rolled shorties, gummy edibles and disposable vape pens.